Chapter 707: Fate
Chapter 707: Fate
A hint of deep wariness flashed in the eyes of the sword cultivator clad in a water-blue robe.
The young master Jin's face turned grim and stony.
Qian Xuezhou, a third-rank official of the Dao Court... Gu Changhui.
A cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core.
Outside the tavern, Gu Changhui stood tall and proud, his exceptional bearing evident even through his coarse clothing.
Brilliant wind blades, resembling feathered wings, encircled his body.
His robust aura and unrestrained Golden Core cultivation exuded a subtle oppressive force.
Young Master Jin frowned, pondered briefly, then his eyes turned cold as he asked in an angry tone:
"Gu Changhui..."
"Was all of this your doing behind the scenes?"
Gu Changhui remained calm, but a hint of surprise flickered in his heart.
He didn't quite understand which scheme the young master was referring to.
However, being inherently proud and aloof, he was too lazy to explain, especially to a degenerate scion of a noble family like this.
Gu Changhui merely replied indifferently:
"You can choose to surrender peacefully or wait for me to cripple you, bind you with the Spirit Locking Rope, and then throw you into the Daoist prison."
Young Master Jin smiled sinisterly, his composure unchanged. "Why are you arresting us, Official Gu?"
"You admitted it yourself," Gu Changhui said coldly. "Trading cultivators, endangering lives, refining human pills—any one of these crimes is enough to throw you into the Daoist prison to suffer endless torture."
Young Master Jin smiled faintly. "I was just bluffing to scare that little ghost... Words alone aren't proof, Official Gu. Surely you won't wrong a good person based on baseless accusations?"
A mocking smile played at the corners of Gu Changhui's mouth. "Something inferior to a beast, undeserving of the title of 'human,' dares to call itself a 'good person'?"
Young Master Jin's expression changed, and he said sharply, "Official Gu, watch your words!"
Gu Changhui pointed at Young Master Jin's storage bag. "Don't think I don't know that you still have the human pill on you. Now that we've caught you red-handed, how do you plan to wriggle out of this?"
"Human pill?" Young Master Jin casually tossed his storage bag aside and feigned confusion. "What are you talking about, Official Gu? Where is this so-called human pill? I don't see anything."
Gu Changhui's eyes narrowed slightly.
Young Master Jin pointed at the storage bag on the ground containing the human pill and said with a smile, "Official Gu, surely you don't think that this bag contains a human pill? How is that possible?"
"Moreover, even if it did contain what you call a 'human pill,' I know nothing about it..."
Young Master Jin then pointed at Fisherman Long, a mocking smile on his lips. "This fisherman cultivator claimed he had high-quality pills to sell me. Out of curiosity, I came to take a look. Who knew that what he was selling and what was in his bag would be so different?"
Fisherman Long's face turned pale.
"This has nothing to do with me..." Young Master Jin smiled faintly, then continued, "Perhaps this commoner was instigated by someone else and is trying to frame me."
"Am I right?" Young Master Jin looked at Gu Changhui with a smile that was not quite a smile. "...Official Gu."
Gu Changhui remained unperturbed and nodded slowly. "What you say makes sense. How about this—you come with me to the Dao Court, and after I get to the bottom of this, I'll release you."
"This has nothing to do with me," Young Master Jin said.
"Whether it's related to you or not, let's discuss it after we get to the Dao Court..."
"These pills aren't mine..."
"You've touched them, so you're implicated. Let's talk after we get to the Dao Court." Gu Changhui replied indifferently.
"Official Gu, I've already explained that those words earlier were just bluster..."
"But since you've said them, we need to verify the truth. Let's talk after we get to the Dao Court..."
Gu Changhui was unmoved by Young Master Jin's arguments.
No matter how the young master tried to wriggle out of it, he simply replied, "Let's talk after we get to the Dao Court," maintaining an air of impartiality.
Young Master Jin fell silent.
His expression turned difficult to read.
Going to the Dao Court to discuss it further? Going to the Dao Court was out of the question! Once they entered the Dao Court, they would be at the mercy of others. Even if they didn't die, they would suffer punishment and be stripped of everything.
Moreover, the higher-ranked Dao Courts had "Causal Law Statements."
Some words, once spoken, couldn't be taken back. Some deeds, once done, couldn't be denied.
While one could try to argue their way out of things outside the Dao Court, such attempts were futile within its halls.
Young Master Jin seethed inwardly.
This Gu Changhui was truly detestable! He didn't care what you said and wouldn't bother arguing. He was determined to drag him into the Dao Court.
Once there, he would be like a fish on a chopping board, at Gu Changhui's mercy.
The sword cultivator in the water-blue robe spoke up in a deep voice. "Official Gu, is it appropriate to send Young Master Jin, given his noble status, to the Dao Court?"
Gu Changhui glanced at him and said, "It's fine. You're going in as well."
The cultivator in the water-blue robe was taken aback.
Gu Changhui's expression remained neutral as he said, "Xie Liu, inner door instructor of Gui Shui Gate, you attempted to kill a cultivator from the Gu family today in front of me. As an official of the Dao Court, I will bring you back to clarify this matter."
Gu Changhui glanced at Mo Hua and added, "...along with this disciple who lacks the strength to bind a chicken."
"You're also coming with me to the Dao Court to explain this matter."
Mo Hua looked a little unhappy.
The sword cultivator in the water-blue robe, Xie Liu, an inner door instructor of Gui Shui Gate, had a cold expression on his face, his eyes glinting with a frosty light.
Gu Changhui met his gaze head-on, his expression still indifferent.
Xie Liu smiled, but it was only a smile on the surface; his eyes remained cold. "Official Gu, you actually recognize me..."
Gu Changhui returned a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "If I didn't know you, how could I call you a 'vicious beast'?"
Xie Liu's face twitched, his eyes sharp, but his heart sank slightly.
But when did it happen?
A hint of wariness flashed in Jin Gongzi's eyes, and he secretly signaled to Xie Liu.
Understanding his master's intentions, Xie Liu smiled at Gu Changhui and said, "Officer Gu, it's easy to frame someone when you're in a position of power."
Gu Changhui remained unperturbed and replied, "Oh? Are you suggesting that I'm fabricating charges and falsely accusing you? You should know that slandering an officer of the Dao Court is a crime in itself."
Xie Liu frowned, knowing that he couldn't outwit this Dao Court official in a verbal sparring match.
He clenched his hand, and a long sword appeared—his signature treasure, the Guishui Sword.
It was the standard inherited treasure of the Guishui Gate, one of the Twelve Streams of Qianzhou.
"Are you planning to resist arrest, Officer Gu?" Gu Changhui raised an eyebrow.
"I, Xie Liu, may not be talented, but I am still an instructor of the Guishui Gate. If you insist on slandering me, I have no choice but to defend myself and prove my innocence," Xie Liu replied with a smile.
Gu Changhui nodded. "I understand. So, you're not only guilty of attempted murder, but also of resisting arrest."
Xie Liu's expression turned ugly.
Indeed, this Dao Court official was adept at twisting words and framing people.
Jin Gongzi grew impatient and urged Xie Liu, "Stop wasting time. Let's get out of here."
As long as they could avoid being captured by Gu Changhui right now, they could lie low in their sect or hide within their clan to weather the storm.
He didn't believe that the Dao Court would dare to break ties with the Jin family and the Duanjin Gate just to come after them.
Xie Liu's eyes turned icy, and he raised the Guishui Sword, causing sword energy to surge around him. "Officer Gu, our cultivation levels are comparable. Today, I'd like to test my skills against yours and see which is superior—my Guishui Gate's sword techniques or your Gu family's Dao arts."
Xie Liu channeled his spiritual power into the Guishui Sword, transforming it into a powerful, sinister, and dark sword energy. He then thrust the sword forward, sending the sword energy slicing through the air toward Gu Changhui's chest.
Gu Changhui lifted his hand, creating a feathered fan-like barrier.
When the Guishui sword energy hit the feathered barrier, it managed to hold for a moment before shredding through the feathers and piercing the fan. It continued toward Gu Changhui, aiming for his chest.
Gu Changhui barely managed to sidestep, avoiding a fatal blow, but the sword energy grazed his arm, leaving a bloody gash.
Jin Gongzi couldn't help but sneer at the sight. "So, the Gu family's Dao arts are nothing special after all..."
Xie Liu also wore a triumphant smile, but it soon faded as he sensed that something was amiss.
Gu Changhui glanced at the wound on his arm and nodded. "Now you've attacked an officer of the Dao Court. That's solid evidence."
After saying this, Gu Changhui sprinkled some powder on his wound.
It wasn't meant to stop the bleeding but rather to keep the wound bleeding so that it wouldn't heal and leave no evidence.
While Xie Liu's attacks on Gu An, Gu Quan, and Mo Hua lacked solid proof, his assault on a Golden Core-stage officer of the Dao Court was undeniable evidence.
Xie Liu's face twisted in dismay.
He never expected that behind Gu Changhui's aloof and proud demeanor, he would be so despicable.
Gu Changhui extended his right hand, and a brilliant, colorful, and powerful feathered fan appeared—the Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Fan, a treasured heirloom of the Gu family.
At the same time, Gu Changhui ignited his Dantian with inner fire, enveloping himself in a delicate glow. He resembled a green phoenix spreading its wings or a peacock fanning its tail, and behind him appeared a dazzling array of wind blades that formed a magnificent wing-like display.
Using the Gu family's heirloom high-grade treasure, the Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Fan, Gu Changhui unleashed the Gu family's top-grade Dao art, the Lingfeng Huayu Incantation.
In that moment, Gu Changhui seemed like a celestial green luan, his features exquisite and his spiritual power astonishing.
Xie Liu's face paled.
He poured all his might into the Guishui Sword, pushing the sword energy to its limit, intending to settle the battle with Gu Changhui once and for all.
However, Gu Changhui simply pointed a finger, and the Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Fan radiated a dazzling light. The wind blades created by the Lingfeng Huayu Incantation unleashed a vibrant, deadly display.
In an instant, it was like the flapping of a green luan's wings.
All the wind blades converged into a brilliant hurricane that swept toward Xie Liu.
Xie Liu had nowhere to dodge.
In just one exchange, Xie Liu's sword light was shredded, and his sword energy was instantly devoured.
The Guishui Sword in his hand could only withstand for a moment before losing its luster.
Soon, Xie Liu was enveloped by the wind blades.
Threads of wind-attributed spiritual power, like bone-boring maggots, hid deadly intentions as they eroded his spiritual power and flesh.
The entire tavern was affected by the Dao art, and all the tables, chairs, and walls were reduced to rubble.
When the Dao art subsided and the wind blades dissipated, Xie Liu knelt on the ground, his body covered in wounds and his expression hopeless.
He couldn't comprehend how, despite being at the same cultivation level, their strengths could be so vastly different...
He wasn't even a match for this man from the Gu family!
Mo Hua stood by, her eyes wide with shock.
She knew that Uncle Gu was powerful, but she hadn't expected that, freed from the constraints of his cultivation level and able to unleash the power of a Golden Core stage cultivator along with his signature treasure and top-grade Dao art, he would be so formidable.
He was both flashy and formidable!
Mo Hua's impression of Gu Changhui soared.
Jin Gongzi and the others had also sensed that something was amiss and had been planning their escape since Gu Changhui made his move.
However, they, too, found it hard to believe what was unfolding.
After all, Xie Liu was an inner disciple of the Guishui Gate, and his cultivation and Dao arts were not to be underestimated. Yet, he had fallen in just one move.
This Gu Changhui... was indeed a formidable foe!
A chill ran down Jin Gongzi's spine, and he made a swift decision. "Retreat!"
The priority now was to get away, gather reinforcements from their sect, and stop Gu Changhui.
Gu An and Gu Quan, both at the late Qi Refining stage, quickly caught up and, without hesitation, delivered a disabling blow to their legs before binding them with spirit-locking ropes.
Although Jin Gongzi's group struggled, they couldn't escape with Mo Hua keeping a watchful eye on them.
Meanwhile, Xie Liu was captured by Gu Changhui and bound with a third-grade spirit-locking rope, which restrained both his physical body and meridians.
With the dust settled, Jin Gongzi and his companions were all captured.
Gu Changhui then gathered the incriminating evidence and confiscated their storage bags, intending to escort them to the Daoist prison.
Suddenly, Jin Gongzi spat out in hatred, "Gu Changhui!"
Gu Changhui glanced at him indifferently, his expression unchanged.
Jin Gongzi, restrained and pinned to the ground, sneered defiantly, "Do you know who I am?"
With a cold gaze, Gu Changhui replied, "Regardless of who you are, if you break the Daoist laws, you will be sent to the Daoist prison."
"Pah!" Jin Gongzi cursed. "Don't act so righteous with me!"
"The Daoist laws are meant to govern the lower classes. Noble sects are revered, while wandering cultivators are despised. How can they be treated equally and subjected to the same laws?"
Gu Changhui's eyes gradually turned icy.
Jin Gongzi continued coldly, "Do you know who I truly am?"
"My great ancestor was the sect master of Duanjin Gate eight hundred years ago. My grandfather is currently the grand elder of Duanjin Gate. My father is the deputy sect master, and my mother is a true-transmission elder..."
"It can be said that half of Duanjin Gate, one of the twelve streams of Qianzhou, belongs to my Jin family..."
"I advise you to consider your actions carefully and not make a big deal out of this. Otherwise, even if you are a judge of the Dao Court, you will suffer the consequences!" Jin Gongzi's attitude was extremely arrogant.
Gu Changhui's eyebrows rose, and he lifted his foot, stepping on Jin Gongzi's face. At that moment, his demeanor became even more arrogant than Jin Gongzi's.
"You, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, dare to threaten me, a Golden Core cultivator?"
"You, a mere sect disciple, dare to threaten me, a judge of the Dao Court?"
"Your Jin family is a noble sect, but what about my Gu family?"
Gu Changhui pressed his foot down, grinding Jin Gongzi's face into the mud, and said indifferently, "Can't you see that no matter who it is, when stepped underfoot, they all look the same? You look down on others as inferior, but you fail to realize that in the eyes of others, you are also a despicable person."
Jin Gongzi felt his dignity being trampled upon by Gu Changhui, crushed into pieces. His eyes reddened with rage, and he shouted hoarsely, "Gu Changhui!"
"One day, I will make sure you die a terrible death!"
"I will make sure you suffer endless torment, I will..."
Gu Changhui gave a contemptuous smile and kicked Jin Gongzi, knocking him unconscious. He then tossed him aside like a dead pig and handed him over to Gu An.
"Take him away."
"Yes," Gu An acknowledged, taking custody of Jin Gongzi.
Mo Hua, concerned, quietly asked, "Uncle Gu, won't you face retaliation for humiliating him like this?"
Gu Changhui's expression remained unchanged, "Many people bear grudges against me. If I were afraid of such things, how could I be a judge of the Dao Court?"
"Oh..."
Mo Hua couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence toward him.
Indeed, appearances could be deceiving. Who would have thought that the flamboyant-looking Uncle Gu would possess such integrity?
Gu Changhui glanced at Mo Hua and suddenly frowned, asking, "How did you end up here?"
Mo Hua briefly explained, "I destroyed a human trafficker's base in the fishing village, captured Fisherman Long, and learned about their activities of abducting cultivators and refining human pills. I had Fisherman Long deliver the pills, and we followed, hoping to track down his contacts and uncover more of the scheme. That's how we ended up here..."
Gu Changhui was taken aback by her words and surprised by the swift progress of her investigation.
He seemed impressed by how skillfully she had directed Gu An and the others, almost like a seasoned judge of the Dao Court.
However, he also felt that she had taken a considerable risk...
Frowning, Gu Changhui said, "Be more careful next time. This is a third-rate state, and there are rogue Golden Core cultivators roaming about. The Golden Core stage is a whole major realm above your current minor Qi Refining stage. One mistake, and your life could be forfeit."
"Yes, yes," Mo Hua acknowledged, not arguing further.
Gu Changhui paused for a moment, then asked, "Did you know I was here beforehand, which is why you were so bold?"
He recalled how he had been drinking outside the tavern, disguised and wearing a bamboo hat, when Mo Hua had happened to pass by. At that moment, she had given him a meaningful look, her gaze lingering for a moment as if she had seen through his disguise.
When she entered the tavern later, she had walked with her chest held high and an air of confidence.
Mo Hua quickly denied it, praising him instead, "How could I possibly recognize you, Uncle Gu? Your disguise was flawless."
Gu Changhui hummed in response, unconvinced.
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, "By the way, Uncle Gu, how did you end up here?"
"As for this Young Master Jin, after you mentioned him to me the other day, I kept him in mind and had someone watch him."
"These past few days, Xie Liu and Young Master Jin seemed to be meeting up, and I found it suspicious, so I decided to come and take a look myself..."
Gu Changhui sighed softly.
Indeed, he had arrived early, wearing a bamboo hat and drinking outside the tavern for quite some time.
Frustrated by the lack of evidence, he could only watch and wait, unable to make a move.
But in the blink of an eye, Mo Hua, along with Gu An and Gu Quan, had arrived at the tavern with Fisherman Long.
Right before his eyes, they had conducted a forbidden pill transaction with Fisherman Long, and Young Master Jin had even made outrageous claims about "trafficking cultivators, endangering lives, and refining forbidden pills."
Xie Liu even attempted to kill Fisherman Long to silence him.
All of this provided Gu Changhui with ample reason to make his move and arrest them.
Gu Changhui couldn't quite believe his luck.
Seizing the opportunity, he acted swiftly, gathering solid evidence and capturing Young Master Jin and his companions.
Glancing at Mo Hua, Gu Changhui sighed inwardly and felt a sense of gratitude.
Once again, this child, Mo Hua, had helped him immensely...
With Young Master Jin and his group captured, it was best to leave this place without delay.
To avoid any further complications, Gu Changhui decided to first take the prisoners to the nearby Dao Court prison and then gather more Gu family members to transfer them to the Dao Court prison in Qian Xuezhou.
Mo Hua followed behind as they made their way along the river toward a nearby celestial city.
When they reached a fork in the road, located right at the edge of the state boundary, they found themselves with two paths before them.
One path led to a nearby third-rate celestial city, while the other path led to the second-rate Smoke Water River region.
Gu Changhui intended to take Young Master Jin to the Dao Court prison within the celestial city, while Mo Hua needed to pass through the Smoke Water River region to return to Tai Xu Gate.
Thus, Mo Hua bid farewell to Gu Changhui and the others.
Gu Changhui hesitated slightly before saying, "I'll have Gu An and Gu Quan escort you."
Mo Hua shook her head. "I'm not afraid of the second-rate state boundary. Even if I encounter Huo Fotuo, I can outrun him."
Gu Changhui recalled the Fire Buddha, Huo Fotuo, who had been stealthily attacked and killed by Mo Hua, and said, "Alright, then. Be careful."
"Mhm."
Gu An and Gu Quan also bade farewell to Mo Hua with a bow.
So, Mo Hua parted ways with Gu Changhui and the others, heading back along the Smoke Water River by himself.
He planned to walk to the ferry terminal and hire a carriage there, saving himself the trouble of running.
However, as he walked, a nagging question resurfaced in Mo Hua's mind.
Was Young Master Jin truly a "young master"?
From what he had seen so far, it didn't seem so.
What about Xie Liu?
Although he was a Golden Core cultivator and an instructor at the Gui Shui Gate, he seemed to be taking orders from Young Master Jin. It was unlikely that he was the "young master" either.
Fisherman Long had mentioned that the pills would be delivered to a "young master."
Neither Young Master Jin nor Xie Liu was the intended recipient.
This implied that the "human pills," after passing through Young Master Jin's hands, would be transferred again to the real "young master." Were these "young masters" also nearby, waiting for Young Master Jin to deliver the pills made from young cultivators with exceptional spiritual roots?
Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought, when suddenly his heart skipped a beat, and he turned his gaze toward the Smoke Water River.
The river was shrouded in thick fog, from which a luxurious boat slowly emerged.
It was already past midnight.
The night was dark and the river waters murky, but the boat shone with bright lanterns and romantic mist, exuding opulence and splendor.
Sensual music filled the air, and dancers moved gracefully, their pink satin robes adding to the decadent atmosphere.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed even deeper.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he seemed to perceive the threads of fate floating before him.
After a moment, a cluster of black-purple threads of fate and causality slowly materialized on the boat, twisting and intertwining, ugly and filthy, yet permeated with depraved desires, resembling a putrid heart or a rotting "poppy."
Mo Hua's pupils dilated, and he drew in a sharp breath.
Just then, the mist on the boat parted slightly, and Mo Hua caught a glimpse of several figures.
They were a group of people.
Adorned in feathered and beast-like garments, they toasted and drank, their voices filled with revelry.
They seemed to be young masters.
And among them, one young master was the center of attention. He appeared to be around the same age as Mo Hua, but taller, and his status seemed exceptionally noble.
The others offered toasts to him.
It seemed to be a ritual, a passing of the torch.
As this "young master" seemed to inherit something, the black mist surrounding him intensified, and a terrible, depraved desire took root, with poppy chains spreading.
Mo Hua focused his gaze, trying to make out the young master's features.
However, everything was veiled in mist, blurry and indistinct, making it impossible to discern his face.
Suddenly, as if sensing Mo Hua's gaze, the young master slowly turned his head.
From within the black mist, he wore a layer of luxurious human skin, but his eyes shone with a sinister redness, like a demon, as he looked directly at Mo Hua.
The two of them locked eyes from a distance.
Yet, the mist obscured their vision, and neither could see the other clearly.
But in that moment, it felt as if fate itself hung in the balance...
(End of Chapter)
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